Lawyers for Reporters Canada – Fellowship Fellow/Program Coordinator

One-year contract, full-time | Fully or partly remote | Subject to probationary period 

Established in 1789, the University of King’s College is Canada’s oldest chartered university and is associated with Dalhousie University. A small and extraordinarily lively academic community located in Halifax (Kjipuktuk), Nova Scotia, King’s is known nationally and internationally for its highly acclaimed interdisciplinary programs in the humanities, including its renowned Foundation Year Program, its professional programs in journalism and its fine arts programs in creative writing. King’s is a community where students, faculty, alumni and staff work to bring greater understanding, creativity and compassion to the world. 

Program Description

Lawyers for Reporters–Canada invites applications for a fellowship position as the Program Coordinator of the inaugural year of its Canadian operations.  

Lawyers for Reporters–Canada (LFR-C) is a non-profit program that provides pro bono legal services to non-profit and local independent news reporting organizations throughout Canada. The program is modelled after a similar program in the U.S., which is run by the Vance Center. The Vance Center will provide support and guidance to the entities that have partnered to run LFR-C: the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Canadian Media Lawyers Association and the School of Journalism, Writing and Publishing at the University of King’s College, Halifax. LFR-C is funded by LION Publishers.  

LFR-C will provide a range of newsroom legal services, such as pre-publication review, news gathering liability advice, demand letter response, challenges to subpoenas and production orders and intellectual property licensing. Other services may include corporate, real estate, employment and taxation advice. To provide these services, LFR-C relies on a network of lawyers willing to donate their time to support and bolster an effective democratic news media ecosystem. 

Eligible clients include local independent print and online publishers; local independent radio and television news producers; and freelance photojournalists.   

Responsibilities

Reporting to Prof. Lisa Taylor, the fellow will be responsible for a wide range of program elements, including: 

• Responding to inquiries from potential clients and completing client intake materials used to assess eligibility 
• Liaising with potential pro bono counsel 
• Drafting, proofreading and/or editing internal and external communications 
• Assisting, planning and executing programs and events 
• Creating/updating website content and other communications channels/materials 
• Scheduling meetings; drafting/circulating meeting agendas and supporting materials; taking minutes  
• Gathering data to provide regular reporting; assisting with compiling, organizing and creating presentations and reports from communications and database materials and statistics 
• Serving as a point person between and among the LFR-C’s partners, including the Vance Center, which will provide project support  
• Providing administrative and creative support for communications initiatives, including website support, social media posts, newsletter development, and advocacy and impact reports 
• Conducting data entry, maintaining electronic files 
• Undertaking other general administrative tasks and additional responsibilities/special projects as needed 

 Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, directly relevant experience  
• Education, preferably in law, journalism or a public policy-related field, will be considered a significant asset, as will a graduate degree 
• Interest in journalism, nonprofit/public interest legal work, serving communities that are under-resourced and advancing social and economic justice 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision AND collaboratively with a team 
• Strong organizational, project management and time management skills; careful attention to detail as well as a demonstrated ability to multitask and prioritize workload 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to maintain a professional demeanour with a diverse range of clients, co-workers, volunteers, and other stakeholders 
• Strong computer skills, including intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and website management software 

 Additional Information

• The salary for the full-time, one-year contract is approximately $55,000.  
• The successful candidate will receive a competitive benefits package, including medical and dental, paid vacation and sick time.  
• The position will be administered through the University of King’s College, but may be fully or partly remote, based on agreement with the successful candidate.  

Closing Date: Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to: adminj@ukings.ca with the subject line “Lawyers for Reporters.” Please submit a single digital file that includes a statement of interest in the position, a complete resume/CV, and the names and contact information of two referees who will attest to the candidate’s suitability for the position. Candidates must be authorized to work in Canada. 

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and interviewed shortly after the closing date.  Applications sent through Indeed.com or other websites which post job advertisements without permission will not be considered. 

The University of King’s College is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversification of our community. 

Project Partners

The Canadian Association of Journalists is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides advocacy and professional development for journalists across Canada.  

The Canadian Media Lawyers Association is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of free expression in Canada and abroad. The country’s leading news-media lawyers comprise the organization; members intervene in important appeal cases and promote improved laws and policies for free expression and openness of courts.  

The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice provides pro bono legal representation to civil society organizations worldwide, engaging hundreds of law firms and lawyers to expand access to justice and support an ethically active legal profession. 

LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers is a non-profit alliance of more than 550 small journalism startups and digital news publishers across the U.S. and Canada. 

The University of King’s College is a small teaching-intensive institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, focusing on Journalism and the Humanities. It is associated with Dalhousie University and located adjacent to it.